A report summarizing more than 600 public comments on the proposed South Extension Turnpike alignment was recently provided to the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority Board and published online at www.accessoklahoma.com
Public comments were received from late May through June 30 from residents in Cleveland and McClain counties after public meetings in Purcell and Norman. The turnpike route alignment announced in 2022 must move to the west after the Bureau of Reclamation deemed the project was not compatible with the designated usage of its property next to Lake Thunderbird.
About two-thirds of the comments received were about topics including environmental concerns such as flooding and wildlife, significant structures and alignment suggestions. This information will help OTA engineers determine the best possible final alignment of the South Extension Turnpike, which ultimately will connect I-35 to the future East-West Connector Turnpike, ACCESS Oklahoma program manager Ladan Nelson reported to the Board on Tuesday.
OTA anticipates announcing the new alignment in fall 2025, she said. At that time, the Authority will actively reach out to property owners who may be in proximity of the future turnpike route. Residents and property owners are always encouraged to reach out to the ACCESS Oklahoma hotline at 1-844-562-2237 or by emailing info@accessoklahoma.com with any questions.
East-West Connector Turnpike construction expected to begin spring 2026
Also anticipated this fall will be the letting for the first project of the East-West Connector Turnpike between I-44 and I-35. The project includes the creation of a South Canadian River Bridge, which will be more than 7,000 feet in length, Nelson said. The project also includes a bridge over Pennsylvania Ave. Construction on this portion of the East-West Connector is expected to start in spring 2026 with the connection between I-44 and I-35 anticipated to open to traffic by the end of 2027. The base estimated construction cost of these two bridge projects is $226 million.
Other work on the 15-year ACCESS Oklahoma long-range plan so far includes ongoing design and right-of-way planning. The overall program includes widening projects on the I-44/Turner Turnpike, the I-44/Will Rogers Turnpike and the I-344/John Kilpatrick Turnpike along with numerous new interchanges as well as bridge and pavement projects plus the new turnpike routes in Cleveland and McClain counties. To date, the Authority has:
- OTA has sent 148 notice letters to property owners;
- The Authority is in active discussion with 91 property owners;
- OTA has purchased 27 parcels of land; and
- 28 additional offers have been made to property owners.
Nelson also highlighted a $55 million partnership between OTA and the City of Moore that includes a utility relocation agreement to relocate two effluent lines as part of construction of the East-West Connector.
John Kilpatrick Turnpike widening project completes ahead of schedule
A section of the I-344/John Kilpatrick Turnpike between Eastern Ave. and I-35 re-opened as six lanes on Tuesday, it was announced during the Board meeting. After eight months of work, and ahead of schedule, this project was undertaken as part of ACCESS Oklahoma with the goal of improving safety, alleviating traffic and improving travel time for motorists. The John Kilpatrick Turnpike is seeing the highest traffic growth rate among Oklahoma turnpikes. This $14.7 million project is the first project completed within the ACCESS Oklahoma long-range plan. This week crews will finish up work overnight, but two lanes of traffic will remain open during that time.
Wellston work zone traffic shift set for mid-August
Nelson also provided an update on the Wellston bridge project on the I-44/Turner Turnpike. The project is more than 60 percent complete, and she said in mid-August all traffic will be switched over to new pavement, using one of the newly constructed and paved bridges. This switch will allow crews to complete work on the future westbound lanes. OTA anticipates this section of the Turner Turnpike, which includes a portion of Route 66, will be fully open to traffic in fall 2025.
The newly widened eastbound and westbound I-344/John Kilpatrick Turnpike lanes between Eastern Ave. and I-35 were opened to traffic. This ACCESS Oklahoma project finished ahead of schedule and alleviates congestion and improves travel time for motorists.